Journal of Inflammation Research

Microbiome–Immune Crosstalk: Mechanisms, Therapeutic Modulation, and Translational Strategies in Chronic Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases

The Journal of Inflammation Research is pleased to announce a new Article Collection dedicated to the examining how the human microbiome and immune system interact.

The human microbiome, encompassing the diverse communities of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms inhabiting our body, plays a pivotal role in maintaining immune homeostasis and influencing disease outcomes. Emerging evidence has revealed that the intricate crosstalk between the microbiome and the immune system critically shapes host responses to infection, inflammation, and cancer. Dysbiosis, or imbalance in microbial communities, has been linked to chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmune disorders, impaired wound healing, and variable responses to immunotherapies.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying microbiome–immune interactions is essential for developing innovative therapeutic strategies. Targeted modulation of microbial communities, whether through probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, or fecal microbiota transplantation, offers promising opportunities to enhance immune function and improve patient outcomes. Moreover, advanced multi-omics approaches are enabling a deeper understanding of host–microbe signaling pathways, revealing potential biomarkers and translational targets for precision medicine.

The interplay between the microbiome and the immune system is fundamental to human health, influencing everything from infection susceptibility to chronic inflammation and response to therapy. Dysregulation in this crosstalk can drive disease progression, reduce treatment efficacy, and contribute to poor clinical outcomes. By understanding these interactions, researchers can identify novel therapeutic targets, develop microbiome-based interventions, and enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies.

Addressing microbiome–immune crosstalk is particularly important for precision medicine, as it enables the tailoring of treatments based on an individual’s microbial and immune profile. This approach has the potential to revolutionize the management of chronic inflammatory diseases, infectious conditions, autoimmune disorders, and cancer, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare burdens.

This Collection welcomes high-impact original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives/commentaries, methodology papers and graphical reviews/visual communications focusing on the diverse scientific and translational innovations in microbiome-immune signaling. Key themes include, but are not limited to:

1. Mechanistic insights into microbiome–immune system interactions;
2. Gut–organ axes and systemic immune regulation;
3. Microbiome influence on immunotherapy efficacy and vaccine response;
4. Dysbiosis-driven chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases;
5. Host–microbe signaling pathways as therapeutic targets;
6. Microbiome-targeted interventions: probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT);
7. Multi-omics approaches to study microbiome–immune networks;
8. Translational and clinical studies leveraging microbiome modulation.

Manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review. Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript as it will be rejected if it does not fall within the scope of the journal.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 16 November 2026. 

Please submit your manuscript on our website, selecting "Microbiome–Immune Crosstalk: Mechanisms, Therapeutic Modulation, and Translational Strategies in Chronic Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases" from the drop-down menu for consideration in this Article Collection. Please include any discount codes before you submit as these codes will not be applied retrospectively. For Article Collection and/or discount queries, please contact the Commissioning Editor, Ashley Ambros.

Meet the Guest Advisors

Dr. Vinay Kumar is a Researcher (junior faculty) at the Heart and Vascular Institute, Pennsylvania State University, where his work focuses on dissecting dysregulated innate and adaptive immune networks in myocardial infarction (MI) and chronic heart failure (HF). His research emphasizes understanding the roles of distinct T-cell subsets and the time-dependent phenotypic shifts these cells undergo during chronic HF. Additionally, Dr. Kumar is dedicated to developing innovative immunomodulatory strategies to reverse pathological immune alterations and facilitate their translation from bench to bedside.

Dr. Anuradha Tyagi is a biomedical researcher specializing in inflammation biology, wound healing, and host–pathogen interactions. Her work demonstrates that timely modulation of the inflammatory phase is crucial for proper wound closure and tissue repair, particularly in conditions like radiation dermatitis. She has highlighted the therapeutic potential of secondary bile acids in chronic wound management, showing their ability to inhibit biofilm formation, neutralize bacterial virulence factors, modulate pro-inflammatory cytokines, and promote angiogenesis. Dr. Tyagi’s research advances our understanding of immune responses, microbial dynamics, and tissue regeneration, with important translational implications for chronic wound therapy.

Dr. Yash Gupta is a leading translational researcher specializing in gut–liver axis disorders, with a primary focus on precision probiotics and endotoxemia in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). His work includes the development of novel lipid membrane–camouflaged biomimetic nanoparticles for microRNA delivery to intestinal epithelial cells, enabling targeted therapeutic modulation of intestinal tight junction integrity. Dr. Gupta has also conducted seminal studies on microRNA-mediated suppression of kisspeptin receptors in pancreatic cancer, elucidating how comorbidities such as obesity and hypertension influence tumor survival. He has contributed to defining the role of Bifidobacterium bifidum–PPAR-γ signaling pathways, advancing probiotic-based strategies for inflammatory bowel disease. Additionally, Dr. Gupta has served as a key collaborator in multi-institutional research initiatives, including investigations into erythropoietin signaling in vagus nerve Schwann cells and its role in restoring intestinal motility following surgical injury.